Russian ambassador overheard in DC restaurant complaining about lack of respect from US

Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov was reportedly overheard at Washington, D.C.’s Café Milano complaining about a lack of respect toward his nation.

Antonov was photographed sitting for dinner with former U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and CEO of the Center for the National Interest Dimitri Simes.

The three officials were allegedly engaged in a discussion on the conflict in Ukraine, according to the Politico journalist who took the photo. 

Antonov reportedly expressed deep confusion on American support for Ukrainian resistance forces. The ambassador mentioned both the trend of neo-Nazism in the Ukrainian military and politics.

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“You have a lot of Jewish guys in the United States. Why are they so tolerant of what’s happening in Kyiv?” Antonov reportedly asked Khalilzad. 

The ambassador reportedly expressed to his dinner companions that Russia did not get enough consideration internationally, adding that the country would like to see a gesture of respect from D.C.

Politico’s clandestine reporting was intensely scrutinized by Simes, who claimed the publication “did not even understand” what the conversation was about. Simes also went on to criticize the report for being based on notes taken far from the table.

“It is clear to me that you did not even understand what the conversation was all about. Indeed, you were not close enough to hear the conversation sufficiently well to be able to report it objectively,” Simes told Politico.

Ukrainian forces are retreating from the besieged eastern city of Sievierodonetsk after weeks of a fierce, bloody battle, Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said on Friday. 

Russian troops have been relentlessly bombarding the city, which is the administrative center of the Luhansk region, and the Ukrainians are retreating to avoid encirclement. 

Russia controls around 95% of the Luhansk province and about 50% of the neighboring Donetsk province. Both are in the disputed Donbas region.